Means for drying microscope slides, pipettes, and similar types of laboratory instruments



- D. B. MURRAY 2,748,495 MEANS FOR DRYING MICROSCOPE SLIDES, PIPETTES.AND

June 5, 1956 SIMILAR TYPES OF LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS Filed June 25, 1953JNVENTOR. DONALD B. MURRAY W a 4, p;

Unite MEANS FOR DRYING MHCROSCOPE SLIDES,

PIPETTES, AND Sli EAR TYPES OF LABS- RATQRY lNSTRUMENTS Application lune25, 1953, Serial No. 364,127

6 Claims. (Cl. 34107) This invention relates in general to scientificlaboratory apparatus and more particularly to means for dryingmicroscope slides, pipette, and similar types of laboratory instruments.

In scientific laboratories, and particularly in laboratories primarilydevoted to making various types of pathological and bacteriologicalanalyses in conjunction with medical diagnosis, various biochemical andmicroscopic routines are performed on samples of body fluids, serums,tissue sections, and the like. In so doing, microscope slides andpipettes of different types are commonly employed and must be carefullywashed and dried after each use. Because of the size and delicate natureof such devices, it is not usually desirable to dry them with a towel,inasmuch as the lint from .the towels and finger marks from handlingwould adhere to the slides and pipettes and would interfere with theaccuracy of ultimate use. It is therefore the practice to allow thistype of device to drain and dry slowly in the open air. However, it hasbeen found that such a practice results in rather slow drying,particularly under adverse atmospheric conditions, and as a result, anunnecessarily large number of microscope slides, pipettes, and the like,are always out of service in the process of being cleaned and dried.Furthermore, scientific laboratories ordinarily find that space is at apremium and it is always necessary to invest whatever funds may beavailable in equipment directly related to diagnostic and analyticalwork, with the result that there is, ordinarily, very little space oravailable funds for investment in accessory implements such as a pipettedrying device.

It so happens, however, that in all laboratories where microscopes andmicroscope slides are in use, a microscope light-source is employed toilluminate the microscope stage. Such illuminators employ high wattageelectric lamps and generate a considerable amount of heat. Ordinarilysuch illuminators also are provided with either natural or artificialdraft means for causing a reasonable flow of circulating air within thelamp housing to promote cooling. Consequently, a microscope illuminatoris inherently a source of hot, dry, moving air, which could be used fordrying microscope slides, pipettes, and similar types of laboratoryglass ware and instruments. In fact, it has been found in connectionwith the present invention that any device constructed in the manner ofa lamp housing having an electric lamp or similar heat source with meansfor establishing a current of air through the housing, will form anexcellent means for drying microscope slides, pipettes, and similarinstruments of the type here under consideration, if constructed in sucha manner as to support the instruments in vertical or free-drainingposition so that the currents of hot air will flow upwardly along andthrough the articles being dried.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide amicroscope illuminator having means for supporting microscope slides,pipettes, and similar laboratory instruments and devices in asubstantially ver- Patent 2,748,495 Patented June 5, 1956 tical orfree-draining position, in the path of an up wardly moving current ofair which has been heated by the light-source of the illuminator.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a deviceadapted for drying microscope slides, pipettes, and similar laboratoryinstruments by the use of moving currents of hot air.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a slide andpipette drier which is simple and economical in construction and highlyefiicient in operation.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a device of thetype stated which is inexpensive and occupies a relatively small amountof space.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a side elevational view, partlybroken away and in section, of a microscope illuminator constructed inaccordance with and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the microscope illuminator; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure1.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, A designates a microscope illuminator comprising a somewhatrectilinear weghted base 1, preferably having an upstanding centrallylocated ear 2, for rockably supporting a downwardly turned U-shapedbracket 3, operably secured thereto by a transverse shaft 4 which is, inturn, provided on its outwardly projecting ends with cap nuts 5. Thebracket 3 is securely fastened upon the underside of a base plate 6,having a plurality of upwardly extending ventilation apertures 7, andbeing provided upon its upper face with a conventional lamp socket 8 forreceiving a high Wattage electric illuminator lamp 9. The socket 8 isconventionally connected to an electric cord 10, which may be connectedin any suitable manner to a source of electrical current. Although notforming a part of the present invention and therefore not shown ordisclosed herein, any suitable type of switch as is customary in thistype of electrical wiring may be connected to the cord 10.

Centrally of its forward and rearward transverse margin, the base 6 isintegrally provided with upstanding flanges 11, 12, and secured to theflange 11 by means of a bolt 13 is a conventional, manually adjustable,focusing-tube assembly 14, having a suitable lens system for directing abeam of concentrated light upon a microscope stage or elsewhere asneeded. The flange 12 is set forwardly a short distance from the reartransverse margin of the base 6 and is threadedly provided with arearwardly projecting screw 15, preferably having a large plastic handleor knob 16 for convenience in manipulation.

Provided for snug-fitting slidable engagement downwardly upon the base 6and around the flanges 11, 12, is a hollow shell or housing 17, having afront wall 18, a rear wall 19, opposed parallel side Walls 20, 21, andan arcuate top wall 22. The housing or shell 17 is preferably molded orotherwise suitably formed from a phenolic resin such as Bakelite, or thelike, and is provided in its front wall 18 with a downwardly presentedsomewhat U-shaped recess or opening 23, which fits around the peripheralmargins of the flange 11 in a snug-fitting attractively appearingmanner. Similarly, the rear Wall 19 is provided with a relatively narrowslot '24, opening upon the lower margin thereof, and extending upwardlyfor fitting around the bolt 15. It will be evident that by tighteningthe bolt 15, the housing 17 will be firmly secured to the base 6, andsimilarly, by loosening the bolt 15, the housing 17 may be readilylifted upwardly from the base to permit changing the lamp 9.

The top wall 22 of the housing 17 is provided with a centrally locatedelongated opening 25, provided along its longitudinal margins withoppositely aligned, somewhat rectangular, recesses 26, separated byintermediate fingers 27, the outer margins of which are rounded off asat 28. Along each of its transverse margins, the opening 25 is providedwith a pair of somewhat circular apertures 29 and a centrally locatedrectangular recess 30. Finally, the top wall 22 is provided with tworows of circular apertures 31, respectively located outwardly from andalong the longitudinal margins of the recess 25. The apertures 31 aresomewhat smaller than the apertures 29 and are adapted to receive apipette of somewhat smaller diameter; whereas the recesses 29 willaccommodate a pipette or similar instrument of somewhat larger diameter.The pairs of transversely aligned recesses 26 are spaced and sized foraccommodating the standard size of microscope slide and thelongitudinally aligned pair of recesses are spaced and sized so as toaccommodate a glass plate of a size commonly found in scientificlaboratories.

The top wall 22 of the housing 17 is furthermore interiorly providedwith a pair of lengthwise aligned bosses 32, formed in and dependingfrom the underface thereof, and being transversely apertured in theprovision of elongated slots 33, as best seen in Figure 4.

Provided, for removable disposition upon the underface of the top wall22 is a supporting tray 34 formed of stainless steel or any othersuitable material and integrally including a flat bottom wall 35 havingshort upstanding side flanges 36 and relatively long transverse endflanges 37, the latter being integrally provided along their uppermargins with narrow upstanding ears 38 adapted for snug-fitting,frictionally retained, engagement Within the slots 33. It will be notedthat the ears 36 are slightly smaller in vertical height than thevertical dimension of the slots 33 so as not to protrude above the topsurface of the top wall 22.

In use, the electrical cord 10 is connected to any conventional sourceof electrical power and the lamp 9 is lighted thereby giving off asubstantial quantity of heat. As the air within the shell or housing 17becomes heated, it will rise and circulate upwardly past the supportingtray 34 and then outwardly through the ventilation apertures 7 andconsequently establishing an upward draft or circulation of warm air.Microscope slides s and pipettes pp' such as those schematicallydesignated in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2 may be inserted into theapertures and recesses 26, 29, 3t and 31, in any convenient orappropriate manner. The lower ends will rest upon and be supported bythe wall 35 of the supporting tray 34, which has been warmed by the lamp9, and the water draining therefrom will be caught and evaporatedtherefrom. The microscope slides s and the pipettes pp' are supported insubstantially vertical or upright position and will be completely andefliciently dried by the upward current of warm air. The microscopicslides s and pipettes pp' can be stored in this position for as long asmay be desired, or when dry, can be removed and placed in suitablestorage drawers or racks. Since the currents of warm air will promoterapid drainage and complete efiicient drying of the microscope slides,pipettes, and similar laboratory instruments, it is possible to operateclficiently with a smaller supply of such instruments than has hereforebeen possible. In addition, the instruments themselves are much moreelficiently cleaned and dried and inaccuracies in laboratory resultswhich are sometimes due to uncleansed particles of dirt,

i pathological material, or to the presence of moisture, can thus becompletely eliminated.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of themeans for drying microscope slides, pipette, and similar types oflaboratory instruments may be made and substituted for those hereinshown and described without departing from the nature and principle ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a microscope illuminator, a lamp housing having marginallyabutting top, bottom, and side walls arranged to form a completeenclosure, a light source mounted within the enclosure and being adaptedto generate substantial heat when it is lighted, said bottom wall beingprovided with ventilation openings for causing a current of air to passthrough the housing and in so doing flow around the light source, inheat-exchange relationship therewith, the top wall being provided with aplurality of apertures in an area located generally above the lightsource so that the air flowing through the housing will exit upwardlythrough such apertures after it has become heated from the light source,said apertures being variously shaped for supporting a plurality ofmicroscope slides, pipettes and the like, and a battle-forming traypositioned in the path of the current of air after it has flowed aroundthe light source whereby the current of air is caused to flow around anddry the supported microscope slides, pipettes and the like.

2. In a microscope illuminator, a lamp housing having marginallyabutting top, bottom, and side walls arranged to form a completeenclosure, a light source mounted within the enclosure and being adaptedto generate substantial heat when it is lighted, said bottom wall beingprovided with ventilation openings for causing a current of air to passthrough the housing and in so doing flow around the light source inheat-exchange relationship therewith, the top wall being provided with aplurality of apertures in an area located generally above the lightsource so that the air flowing through the housing will exit upwardlythrough such apertures after it has become heated from the light source,said apertures being variously shaped for supporting a plurality ofmicroscope slides, pipettes and the like, and a baffle-forming traysuspended in the housing in downwardly spaced relation to the top Walland beneath the apertured area thereof, said tray being positioned inthe path of the current of air after it has flowed around the lightsource whereby the current of air is caused to flow around and dry thesupported microscope slides, pipettes and the like.

3. A device for drying microscope slides, pipettes and the likecomprising a housing having marginally abutting top, bottom, and sidewalls arranged to form a complete enclosure, a heat source mountedWithin the enclosure, said bottom wail being provided with ventilationopenings for causing a current of air to pass through the housing and inso doing flow around the heat source in heat-exchange relationshiptherewith, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures inan area located generally above the heat source so that the air flowingthrough the housing will exit upwardly through such apertures after ithas become heated from the heat source, said apertures being variouslyshaped for supporting a plurality of microscope slides, pipettes and thelike, and tray-like means mounted within the top portion of theenclosure in downwardly spaced underlying relation to the apertures soas to engage the lower ends of said microscope slides, pipettes, and thelike and thereby co-operate in supporting same, said last named meansbeing positioned in the path of the current of air after it has flowedaround the heat source whereby the current of air is caused to flowaround and dry the supported microscope slides, pipettes and the like.

4. A device for drying microscope slides, pipettes and the likecomprising a housing having marginally abutting top, bottom, and sidewalls arranged to form a complete enclosure, a heat source mountedwithin the enclosure, said bottom wall being provided with ventilationopenings for causing a current of air to pass through the housing and inso doing flow around the heat source in heat-exchange relationshiptherewith, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures inan area located generally above the heat source so that the air flowingthrough the housing will exit upwardly through said apertures after ithas become heated from the teat source, said apertures being variouslyshaped for supporting a plurality of microscope slides, pipettes and thelike in vertical position, and an imperforate tray suspended within thehousing directly above the heat source and in downwardly spaced relationto the apertures, said tray being substantially smaller than theinterior size of the housing so that at least some of its edges standaway from the adjacent interior faces of the housing side walls, saidtray furthermore being somewhat larger in area than the apertured areaof the top wall so as to be disposed as a downwardly spaced bottom wallacross all of said apertures and supportingly engage the lower ends ofthe microscope slides, pipettes, and the like which are disposed in saidapertures whereby to heat said microscope slides, pipettes, and the likeby direct transmission and at the same time cause the current of air,after it has flowed around the heat source, to flow externally aroundand dry the supported microscope slides, pipettes and the like.

5. In a microscope illuminator a housing having top and bottom wallsrespecitvely provided with apertures to permit the passage of airthrough the housing, some oi the apertures of the top wall being adaptedto receive and hold upright microscope slides, pipettes and the like, alight source operatively mounted within the housing and being adapted togenerate substantial heat when it is lighted, and a tray mounted withinthe housing beneath the apertures of the top wall to support the lowerends of the microscope slides, pipettes and the like held in saidapertures, so that said microscope slides, pipettes and the like will beheld upright in, and project externally upwardly from, the top wall soas to be dried by, the air passing through said apertures and out of thehousing after such air has been heated by the light source.

6. In a microscope illuminator a housing having top and bottom Wallsrespectively provided with apertures to permit the passage of airthrough the housing, some of the apertures of the top wall being adaptedto receive and hold upright microscope slides, pipettes and the like, alight source operatively mounted within the housing and being adapted togenerate substantial heat when it is lighted, and a tray mounted withinthe housing directly above the lamp and beneath the apertures of the topwall to support the lower ends of the microscope slides, pipettes andthe like held in said apertures, so that said microscope slides,pipettes and the like will be held upright in, and project externallyupwardly from the top wall so as to be dried by, the air passing throughsaid apertures and out of the housing after such air has been heated bythe light source.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,432,839 Carey Oct. 24, 1922 1,564,917 White Dec. 8, 1925 1,581,426Coons Apr. 20, 1926 1,827,479 Lierman Oct. 13, 1931 2,282,070 MahannahMay 5, 1942 2,623,301 Weiskopf Dec. 30, 1952

